The Department of Anesthesiology
No major surgical intervention is possible without anesthesia. Thus, this area of medical specialization is particularly closely connected - in fact it is almost symbiotic - with surgery and the constantly broadening spectrum of modern operative procedures. Contemporary anesthesiology demands know-how that is in step with up-to-the-minute findings in the field.
Since almost all patients in a cardiac care center are suffering from impairment of the heart, the circulation and the lungs, procedures performed upon them involving an anesthetic are much more complicated than most of those carried out in other types of health-care facilities. This makes the cardiac anesthetist's task particularly challenging.
Complex lung transplantations, for example, typify the extremely demanding nature of the operations undertaken and require a team composed of the most highly qualified and experienced specialists. Another extremely difficult area in cardiac anesthesiology is surgery in newborn children and infants with complex and/or rare congenital heart problems. The DHZB has an extensive program for pediatric cardiology and performs operations in this field in constantly increasing numbers.
Our cardiac anesthetists are experts in all modern procedures in anesthesia in all age groups, from the newborn to the elderly. These involve detailed knowledge of and experience with the heart-lung machine, including its use in small children, and all types of mechanical circulatory support systems.
The Department of Anesthesiology also pursues scientific research projects in different areas of its specialty.
